Between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea are the sister islands of Antigua and Barbuda. These islands aren’t large but they create one nation. While Barbuda is not entirely inhabited, it is still visited often by those who stop in Antigua. Antigua does have more dive sites than Barbuda, but when it comes to diving, both islands offer a tremendous adventure for all divers. One of the most popular areas for divers in Antigua and Barbuda is Cades Reef. Cades Reef is home to clear, pristine waters, is completely surrounded by a plethora of corals, and boasts the most colorful marine life. This is truly a place where pictures may speak louder than words, if you can catch some underwater moments. With this picture of Antigua and Barbuda, it is easy to see why divers flock to it from all over the world. Shelves surround a majority of the coast on both islands, which in actuality are the reason that the waters are so unspoiled and calm. The tremendous visibility of these waters is simply attributed to this fact, along with no currents causing disturbances to those who choose to explore them.
Diving Cades Reef
Cades Reef is a barrier reef that lies on the southwest coast of Antigua, and is about an hour by boat from the capital area of St. John’s. It is also about a quarter mile from the South Coast Horizons beach dock. Cades Reef has some shallow waters for diving at about 10 meters deep, giving a diver of any level a chance to explore what is being offered. The waters remain at around 80 degrees Fahrenheit year round, and with visibility ranging from 50 to 140 feet, divers get a full view of the colorful marine life and the abundance of corals.
Cades Reef is several miles long, and is broken into two sections. The more shallow area, where the marine life begins is ideal for beginner divers, and the outer area is where everyone can swim around, snorkel and dive as much as they wish. This outer area is home for the larger fish and pelagics, eels and rays, and nurse and reef sharks. Although the waters here are known for being tame, there are several dive sites within the 7 mile reef system of Cades Reef that divers can dive the inside area of the reef when there are currents. Let’s take a closer look at some of the fabulous sites this amazing reef has to offer.
Monck’s Head
Monck’s Head, known for its amazing corals, has an extremely sandy bottom and is home to a wide variety of tropical fish like parrot fish, trumpet fish, snappers, and creole wracks. On occasion divers may even spot a southern stingray. The depth at Monck’s Head is approximately 47 feet, and it lies at the center of Cades Reef. This site is a popular location for spearfishing and collecting shells.
Bluff Cut
An interesting site with rows of sand and coral that run parallel to each other. There are several types of marine plants at Bluff Cut, including sea fans, whips, and colorful corals. The marine life here is varied, and includes angel fish, sting rays, nurse sharks, and other tropical fish. The depth in Bluff Cut is around 50 feet.
The Chimney
A popular site in Cades Reef, known for its deep descent, and for the corals that exhibit pillar like formations. The dive begins at 40 feet, and descends like stairs down to approximately 80 feet. Divers will notice that there is a large hole in the face of the rock, near the top of the ledge. The Chimney offers a wide variety of marine life including angel fish, blackjacks, Atlantic spade fish, barracudas, moray eels and nurse sharks.
Pillars
Pillars gets its name from the formations and the columns of coral that divers see below the water. This dive site has a plethora of small fish, and divers may also spot the occasional nurse shark and eagle ray. This site has a depth of approximately 36 feet.
Snapper’s Ledge
Very similar to The Chimney, Snapper’s Ledge begins at around 40 feet and slopes to around 80 feet. This site has several rock ledges and undercuts where many fish and other marine creatures make their home. The fish here consist of puffer fish, black jacks, school master snappers, trumpet fish and parrot fish which are more than happy to pose for photographs.
Some other dive sites you may want to visit in this area include: Lemon Ridge, School House, Passage, Lobster Ledge, Captain’s Anchor, Aquarium, Sharky, Stadium, Coral Alley, and Diver’s Paradise.
Exploring Cades Reef is one of the most amazing adventures a diver can experience while diving in the Caribbean. Exploring Antigua and Barbuda is a must as the waters and array of marine life are unlike anything you could experience elsewhere. Do not leave the Caribbean waters without experiencing Cades Reef in Antigua and Barbuda.